Celebrating Belle Starr, On the Water

At the end of a very productive week, we find the sloop-rigged cutter Belle Starr in the water for the first time in many years.

Belle Starr, as you know, is a Stone Horse, built in wood, as originally designed by Sam Crocker. This classic was designed in 1931. Less than forty were built before production was interrupted by WWII. Some of the original wood models are still sailing.
An additional 150 fiberglass Stone Horse models were built by Edey and Duff between 1969 and the early 1990s.

The defining feature of the Stone Horse 23 is her raised, flush foredeck and integral coamings. Twenty three feet on deck, the overall length of the Stone Horse is 28’-3” with a bowsprit and boomkin. The hull has a full keel with hard-chined sections and a transom-hung rudder.

After a year and a half in the shop, Belle Starr touched water this week at family-owned Zittle's Marina, outside Olympia, Washington. The launch was flawless, stepping the mast went smoothly and the boat sat pretty on her lines. It's fair to say, this deserves a celebration.

With an enormous amount of help from friends and the professionals at Zittle's, this project has reached a milestone. My very good friends, Doug Follet of Olympia, his brother Steve, from Vermont, and Doug's son, Ian, of Seattle, all chipped in to make two days of rigging and outfitting go smoothly. My heart-felt thanks to these generous men!



Launch Day for Belle Starr from doryman on Vimeo.

The four of us took the cutter out for a trial sail and wouldn't you know, a calm day of 3-4 knot breezes suddenly built to 15 knots. We turned around and headed back but there was enough time to see what could be done to finish the rigging.




test sail from doryman on Vimeo.

Belle Starr behaved like a thoroughbred. Look for updates, right here, in the days and weeks to come. She is bound for adventure...

Progress Report: Stone Horse, Belle Starr

Wouldn't you know? The last work session on the Stone Horse, Belle Starr was during a snow storm. Now, you should understand, it doesn't snow very often in the lower elevations of the Pacific Northwest anymore. Yet, here it is a month later and guess what? Yes it's snowing.

This makes for a challenging outdoor work situation when most of the repairs involve epoxy and the rest of the work is sanding and painting.

One huge benefit from the cool weather is, the epoxy cures very slow. This means that glue applied yesterday is still pliable today and is easy to shape, form and finish.
There are tricks to successful use of epoxy in cold weather so be warned, don't do this at home unless you are willing to accept the occasional failure of your material.

The last few days have seen some progress in the repair and rehab of Belle Starr. This is not a restoration project as we so often see in the Doryman boatyard. Belle Starr is in great shape for a 30 year old boat.

You may think differently from the photos but often, long before an owner decides to sell their boat, maintenance falls to a minimum. It is not unusual to see a fine wood boat, only a couple decades old, with serious problems. In this case a few yearly haul-outs were neglected and it is a tribute to the builder that the boat held up so well.













As noted earlier, the bowsprit and boomkin needed to be replaced. In the process of researching the development of the Stone Horse, I discovered that the original plans called for a plank bowsprit.

This is good news! I'm not too fond of hanging out there, over the deep blue, on a stick.

To supplement the safety factor, Belle Starr will soon have a bow pulpit, which for some inexplicable reason, she didn't have before. A wide flush deck with no life-lines or handholds seems precarious for the single-hander, though I find the sparse, clean lines aesthetically appealing.
















This boat has a bridge deck in the cockpit. It's about the same level as the galley, down below. When rot developed in the main bulkhead from the cockpit deck, as it so often does, it traveled across into the cabinet on the other side.







This is an excellent opportunity to install a new sink where Belle Starr had a simple plastic pan. (May I mention that it is wonderful to have a project that can use some of the stuff that has accumulated in the material storage shed? It's a regular chandlery out there!)






This was a tricky repair; a puzzle. All of the pieces were glued-up at the same time and each had to be installed in the correct order. There is a piece of the deck missing from under the teak overlay that you can't see here. Talk about a challenge!

Once again, the cool weather slows the epoxy cure to a crawl, giving plenty of time to get it right.

To Desolation and Back

Two months ago, the Doryman voyage ethereal could be found in Olympia, WA setting forth on a trip to be remembered. The Stone Horse, Belle Starr, launched, rigged and headed north for her first real sea trial under her new skipper. At the time, preparations seemed daunting, even overwhelming. Belle Starr needed to be in Port Townsend, WA before the Bristol Channel Cutter, Baggywrinkle set out from Newport Oregon. The two boats were to join in a voyage north to Desolation Sound, Salish Sea, in early June. Doryman was to crew on the latter, then skipper the former.

The trip from Newport, Oregon to Port Townsend, Washington in the classic cutter, Baggywrinkle, took five grueling days. Skipper Chuck Gottfried, navigator Jamie Orr and myself endured all that might be expected and then some, on a northerly voyage "uphill" against ocean current and weather, along the northwest coast of the US. It was too wet and wild for any photos, and I suspect very little could be gleaned from them at any rate. Suffice to say, it is very impressive to sail off the top of a wave crest into a trough twenty feet below, for hours, and days, on end. The intrepid mariners arrived in Point Hudson Marina, all ahoo.


 


 Experienced mariners will tell you, any successful passage has had a good bit of luck. Luck was with us as we rounded Cape Flattery and into Neah Bay. Two days later we sailed into Port Townsend to rendezvous with Belle Starr and crew members Suzy Jo and Heather. I vowed at the time this was my last boat delivery northbound along this coast, but already the pain has subsided and the memory become heroic.

After a couple days of provisioning, the two cutter-rigged boats left for an overnight stop at Spencer Spit, Lopez Island, on the way to join with Paul Miller and his Friendship Sloop, Friendship. The voyage to Desolation Sound had begun.

One more night and we were in Bedwell Harbour, Pender Island, checking in with Canadian customs.

The twentieth of June found us visiting Paul and his wife, Elinor, who treated us like royalty, with a fine dinner, showers and their wonderful view of Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, BC.. The next morning three wooden sailboats left the North American home of the Cittaslow movement, on a voyage of discovery.

How fitting is that?

An overnight stop in Telegraph Harbour on Penelakut Island, brought us, on June twenty second, to Silva Bay, Gabriola Island and the remaining member of our flotilla, Jamie Orr, in his Phil Bolger Chebacco, Wayward Lass. Jamie is our piper and ships his bagpipes everywhere the 'Lass sails.

Gives us courage, he does.


In our next installment; crossing the legendary Strait of Georgia.






 Though Belle Starr is a cutter, she performs best in winds less than twenty five knots, rigged as a sloop. Her new tanbark genoa drives well in light air and is the only foresail we used the entire trip. There were times when less sail might have been prudent, but changing head-sails underway is quite a task. Fortunately Belle Starr is a well founded boat and performed exceptionally under a press of sail, earning her the moniker, The Red Rocket. We found the hard-chined, plywood Stone Horse to be a fine combination of performance, comfort and stability.

Our experience in the Salish Sea this summer is documented photographically on Doryman's Flickr site. The photos are not in any particular order and were submitted by all participants. In time, I may be able to add descriptions, but for now, I'm sure you will enjoy the exquisite beauty of the area regardless.



This voyage ended with the annual gathering of gunkholers at the Sucia Island Rendezvous. Some of the photos toward the end of this album are from that event.

Belle Starr

Belle Starr, as you know, is a Stone Horse, built in wood, as originally designed by Sam Crocker. She spent the summer waiting patiently for Doryman to pick up where he left off last spring.

A shipwright is trained in many disciplines, in fact, must be well versed in anything involving boats of all sizes, shapes and descriptions. This includes welding metal. Doryman does not weld. But for this, he might one day become a shipwright, like his grandfather.

But today, when it comes to metal work, he must resort to his resourceful cunning. Belle Starr was delivered last winter on a flatbed trailer intended for a backhoe. If Doryman were not as resourceful as he is, a new trailer might cost more than the boat itself. So, a used tandem axle trailer was procured and upgrades engineered to make the utility fit the trade.

In the absence of welding skills, four new padded tripod stanchions were bolted to the old trailer this week. The support plates are made of 3/4" plywood with recycled rubber horse-stall pads cut to shape and screwed to the plywood. The pylons are of 2" square mild steel with 2" x 2" angle-iron braces. At some future date, this assembly might be tack-welded for added security, but that will be redundant because the design is rock solid, as-is.

The only element remaining is to investigate and update her standing rigging and Belle Starr will be ready. For what, you might ask? Please stay tuned my friends - when the winter monsoons retreat, it will be an exciting sailing season, indeed. While winter rages, the search is on for a suitable wood stove for Belle Starr. She once sported a Tiny Tot, which rusted to oblivion. For cruising in the Pacific Northwest, a stove is not a luxury.

Other planned projects include a new galley sink, forward berth cushions and a depth sounder. A shipwright must have many talents.

Last evening, Doryman made a road trip north to Port Townsend to attend a winter planning session with the Pocket Yachters. Those guys know how to party. Cold cuts, crackers, wine and beer. Now that's my kind of meeting! Despite their serious demeanor, they are a fun loving bunch.

Wooden Boat Festival 2013, Port Townsend

The maiden voyage of the Stone Horse, Belle Starr was north from Olympia, Washington to Port Townsend, Washington, on the Salish Sea. What a fabulous week!

This voyage began last Wednesday, in rain and thick fog with occasional lightning and ended yesterday in beautiful blue skies with a downwind run home.

In between was the always satisfying Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. Three days of navigating one hundred nautical miles northward by GPS, with hardly a sight of land, culminated in glorious skies Friday, as Belle Starr set anchor off the Port Townsend wharf.

The festivities had already begun and spirits were high with anticipation of a fine weekend. Belle Starr proved to be in good shape, with few problems and performed as her pedigree predicted. We tried all potential sail combinations and discovered a few rigging shortcomings, but nothing to put a damper on the fun.

Doryman has friends in high places (lucky man) and soon after arrival, Belle Starr was invited to tie-up at the dock inside the Basin and join the Festival, even though that was not her intention. She elected to stay outside, at anchor, the better to spread her wings at a moments notice.

You will discover, therefore, most photos in the Doryman archives are on the water, under full canvas. Shooting while handling a sailboat is not ideal for photography, though looking through the photos might give you the feeling of being there. (That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.)

Event Photos:
Doryman's Flickr site
Northwest Maritime Center (facebook)
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding (facebook)

Thanks to all my good friends for making this a week to remember (you know who you are). Doryman is fortunate indeed, to be a member of such a stellar tribe.

Your happy skipper

Belle Starr on Marristone Island. A happy boat.














  Sleeping Seals on Eagle Island from doryman on Vimeo.

Stone Horse, Belle Starr

The Stone Horse, Belle Starr has been moved from the empty shop where she spent the last three years in lonely seclusion.

A boat should not spent its life inside a shop.









It was a cold day, typical of midwinter in the Pacific Northwest. The air appears thick enough to cut with a knife!





This was a herculean task, but with a talented crew all went smoothly. Her new digs aren't very deluxe, as storage goes, but she will not be there long. The plan is to have her ready for the upcoming summer season. All of the wood protuberances have weathered and checked so badly they need to be replaced. The list includes the bowsprit and boomkin, plus tiller and rudder cheeks.





The cockpit is surfaced in teak, which needs to be recaulked and refinished and there is a small area of rot in the main bulkhead. Of two hatches, one is in very good shape and the other, not so much. The sails need to be restitched and some of the sail hardware replaced. All in all, there is not a lot to do. Maybe a month of full time work.






The challenge will be the distance traveled to get the work done. I find myself in a compromised situation. Being an advocate of reduced carbon emissions, each year the internal combustion engine looses more cachet in my book. I would like to see humans abandon this poisonous contraption all together. So, the three hundred fifty miles between me and Belle Starr will require some creative transportation involving buses, trains and possibly a bicycle.





The notorious Belle Starr was a professional outlaw who's life was defined by the civil war in the US. She fraternized and married within the indigenous population of the rural South, which earned her a tarnished reputation. I suspect she was an exceptional person in her day and possibly any other day as well, but history is hard on self-determinate women.



Then, as now, marginalized individuals are forced to do what they can to survive and might end up in prison, while the real criminals run the country and become rich.



This Sam Crocker classic was designed in 1931. Less than forty were built before production was interrupted by WWII. Some of the original wood models are still sailing.
An additional 150 fiberglass Stone Horse models were built by Edey and Duff between 1969 and the early 1990s.

The defining feature of the Stone Horse 23 is her raised, flush foredeck and integral coamings. Twenty three feet on deck, the overall length of the Stone Horse is 28’-3” with a bowsprit and boomkin. The hull has a full keel with traditional wine glass sections (or in this case, hard-chined sections) and a transom-hung rudder.

Often referred to as a cutter, the Stone Horse is more accurately a cutter-rigged sloop, as the mast is stepped well forward of maximum beam and the mainsail makes up more than 50% of total sail area. The masthead rig employs twin headsails and sail area is 339 square feet.
The displacement/length ratio is 325 and sail area/displacement ratio a respectable 19.2. Ballast is 44% of the overall displacement. The design displacement for Belle Starr is 4500#.

Reportedly, since the beam waterline is broad, she stands up well in a blow. While it takes a good breeze to get her started, she tacks easily and balances well without the tendency toward excessive weather helm occasionally found on boats with proportionately large mainsails.

SPECIFICATIONS:
LOA: 23 feet, 4 inches
LWL: 18 feet, 4 inches
BEAM: 7 feet, 1 inch
DRAFT: 3 feet, 4 inches
WEIGHT: 4,490 pounds
SAIL AREA: 339 square feet
HULL: full keel, keel-hung rudder
AUXILIARY POWER: outboard in a well

DESIGNER: Samuel Crocker
BUILDER: Scott Hauser; Hauser Boatworks, Olympia, WA.
.

Launch

We are in the third year of sailing the Sam Crocker Stone Horse, Belle Starr.
Each year is better than the last.

While she is hauled-out over the winter months, she gets a fresh coat of paint. When a boat is neglected or damaged, it takes a while to make her right again. I prefer to use the boat in the mean time. The first finish, after a few repairs had been made was a little rough. Rather than use fillers and hours more sanding, Belle Starr was launched.

Last year saw another make-over and the results were very satisfying. A well maintained boat sails best, don't you think?

This year's maintenance had a few setbacks but at last, Belle Starr has come to town for the season. New topside paint (same electric blue color), dazzling brightwork, a new asymmetrical spinnaker (can't wait) with some rudder repair and a new tiller.

The old rudder cheeks and tiller were made from Black Locust, a very springy and robust wood. The system still worked but was warped and weathered.
(you might remember, that boomkin was new three winters ago).

I had no Black Locust but did have a 5/4 plank of Purple Heart for the cheeks and just enough Teak for a new tiller. Some quick repairs to the rudder head and I now feel much more confident about Belle's helm.





The first time around, the cabin coamings and the mast were a pale shade of tan. From a distance the mast looked as though it were anodized aluminum. Over a period of two years, the creamy tan has been replaced by a darker tan. A subtle but pleasing difference.A venerable spruce stick should never be mistaken for an extrusion.
Last year saw a new genoa, which has basically replaced both jib and staysail, making Belle Starr a sloop rigged cutter. This year we'll be breaking in an asymmetrical spinnaker for those light-air Salish Sea summer months.
She needs and deserves a new mainsail. New standing rigging would not be a bad idea. While we're at it, the mast rakes too far aft.

Stay tuned for that, in years to come.....

All photos were taken today, between rain showers while anchored in Mystery Bay.